Friday, September 4, 2015

The Indira Gandhi
Container Terminal (ICT) in Mumbai officially opened up for Ro/Ro operations on
18th July 2015. On 20th July,
Höegh Seoul made the inaugural port
call. Sea and ships are always
interesting. There are various types of
ships:-Roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled
cargo, such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks,trailers, and railroad
cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using a
platform vehicle, such as a self-propelled modular transporter.

There exists another specialised category - Pure
car and truck carriers (PCTCs), designed to accommodate vehicles, from
completed passenger cars to construction machinery.

Dwarfing
surrounding buildings, passing boats and even Tynemouth Priory, the world’s
biggest car carrier arrives on the Tyne.
It is vessel ‘Hoegh Target’ on her maiden voyage from China.The vessel
has a deck space of 71,400 square meters and can carry 8,500 cars.Besides Hoegh
Target’s enormity, another special feature is its exceptionally high cargo
doors, higher than any other fleet Hoegh Autoliners has ever set sail, with 6.5
m in height and 12 m in width. Such dimensions enable shipment and loading of
larger products that was not previously feasible. It is also equipped with
strengthened extra ramps that can transport an amazing cargo load of 375 tons.

Höegh Autoliners is
a leading global provider of Ro/Ro transportation services. The company
operates 15 trade routes in global trade systems alone or in partnerships, with
about 3,000 port calls annually, according to its website. Höegh's shipowning
history goes back to 1927 when it was
founded by Mr Leif Høegh. In 1960s, the
company diversified to transporting cars.
In 1987, Leif Höegh& Co ASA
was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange after merging the various shipowning
entities. In 2008, HöeghAutoliners relocated its ship owning activities from
Bermuda to Norway. The same year the company acquired a fleet of 12 car carriers
from A.P. Moller – Maersk.

Höegh Target is the
first in a series of six Post Panamax vessels under the New Horizon design that
HöeghAutoliners will take delivery of in the next 18 months. With its deck
space of 71 400 square meters and carrying capacity of 8 500 car equivalent
units, the vessel is the world’s largest Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC). Mrs
Mette Folden, wife of Ingar Skiaker, CEO Höegh Autoliners, named the vessel “Höegh
Target” through the traditional ceremony.
It is claimed that extensive
model testing have been carried out to achieve outstanding performance. In
addition to calm water performance, special focus has been paid on added
resistance in heavy seas and wind resistance.